Collecting water is a preferred choice for gardeners as it is more beneficial for your plants. Tap water goes through filtration and refining to make it safe for human consumption; however, adding chemicals such as chlorine, salts, and minerals is not so favourable for plants. Rainwater contains nitrates and other organic matter that feeds plants and has a slightly acidic pH, which most plants prefer.
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1. Find a solid, flat surface near a gutter downpipe. Use a spirit level to check. You will need a stand or some bricks to sit your water butt on so that it's elevated to allow the watering can to fit underneath the tap.Â
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2.Bring your water butt over and place it on top of the stand.
3.Make sure your water butt is no more than 50cm from the downpipe.
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4.Drill a hole into the outlined hole on the side of the water butt. To do this, you will need to attach a hole saw drill bit to the end of a combi drill.
5,Place a spirit level in line with the bottom of the hole and the downpipe, and use a pencil to make a mark on the downpipe.
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6.Measure 2.5cm up from the marking you’ve just made and make a second pencil marking.
7.Use a combi drill to remove any downpipe bracket near your markings. This will allow the pipe to be pulled slightly away from the wall.
8.Use a hacksaw to cut the downpipe between these two marks and remove the 2.5cm section.
9.Install the rainwater filter where you have removed the section of the downpipe.
10. If you removed any downpipe brackets, you can now re-secure these to your wall and downpipe.
 11,With the rainwater filter fitted, secure the hose connector through the drilled hole on the water butt.
 12.Attach the flexible hose from the filter kit to both connections in the downpipe and the water butt. If it’s too long, this can be cut to size using the hacksaw.
 12.Secure the lid to the top of the water butt to prevent animals and debris from collecting in your water butt.
14.Now all you have to do is wait for the rain to fill up your water butt, top up your watering can and away you go.